Chapter 12 Drinking at the Secretary's House

Yan Moshan didn't return to his own house, he went straight to Fan Zaoni's house.

Fan Baoshun had indeed invited quite a few people; the courtyard was bustling with activity, almost as if Zaoni was about to get married. The aroma of the dishes wafted out for quite a distance, making Yan Moshan's stomach involuntarily start growling.

As soon as Yan Moshan stepped into Fan Baoshun's house, the first thing he did was to give the money to Zhao Yumei, to avoid her saying he came for a free meal.

Zhao Yumei was pretty and sweet-tempered and, after exchanging a few polite words with Yan Moshan and smiling, she accepted the money and urged him to go inside to cool off where there was an electric fan.

Upon entering the room, Yan Moshan saw Fan Zaoni chatting animatedly with a group of her female classmates.

When Fan Zaoni saw Yan Moshan come in, she said, "Moshan, you're here. I was just chatting with my classmates; please, have a seat wherever you like."

"Oh!" Yan Moshan hadn't expected Fan Zaoni to be so polite to him today; it was somewhat surprising!

Yan Moshan had been worried that Fan Zaoni wouldn't give him any face and would just leave him out in the cold, which would have been utterly embarrassing.

Yan Moshan actually knew most of Zaoni's classmates who came today, except for a few he was not familiar with. Among the female classmates, some were quite friendly with Yan Moshan, having gotten along well with him during their school days.

"Moshan, you're here, long time no see!"

A pretty girl smiled at Yan Moshan, dimples forming on both sides of her mouth. Wearing two big braids and dressed in army green clothes, she had a strong rural vibe.

"Hey, you're Ding Sitian, aren't you? You've become more and more beautiful—I almost didn't recognize you!"

Yan Moshan knew the girl was named Ding Sitian; he guessed she was charmed by his looks since she had been very forward and enthusiastic towards him since elementary school. But back then, he had no clue about these matters and treated her just as a plain friend.

To his surprise, after so many years, the little girl had grown into a tall and graceful young lady who, compared to Fan Zaoni, had an extra touch of elegance, and compared to Xu Xiaoya, an additional dose of liveliness. Indeed, as the saying goes, "a girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood," and she just kept getting better-looking.

"Hehe, you've become quite the smooth talker now. You never used to talk so much before, did you?" Ding Sitian's cheeks turned a light shade of red, her dimples deepening, causing Yan Moshan to stare in a daze.

"Heh heh, before I wanted to speak but didn't dare to, right? If I don't speak up now, I might never get a chance!" Yan Moshan replied smoothly, causing Ding Sitian to burst into laughter again.

Fan Zaoni watched Yan Moshan and Ding Sitian chat so warmly, feeling a hint of jealousy in her heart.

Speaking of Fan Zaoni's attitude towards Yan Moshan, it was quite complex. She thought he was the best looking among the male students but disliked his casual, careless demeanor, not taking studies seriously and always coming up with bad ideas.

Especially after the incident where Yan Moshan and Ma Xiaole from the neighboring village climbed the wall to peep at girls urinating in the toilet, Fan Zaoni thought he was beyond redemption.

Yet, seeing Ding Sitian getting cozy with Yan Moshan, Fan Zaoni couldn't stand it. She walked over to Ding Sitian, pulled her out, and complained that it was too noisy inside.

When it was time to sit for the meal, Fan Baoshun found it challenging to place Yan Moshan. He would stand out sitting at a table with Zaoni and her group of female classmates, and besides, Zaoni had said she didn't want Yan Moshan at their table.

Of course, Fan Baoshun was oblivious to Zaoni's mindset. Zaoni knew all too well that if Yan Moshan sat with them, Ding Sitian would definitely squeeze next to Yan Moshan, which would be infuriating.

Fan Baoshun couldn't place Yan Moshan at the men's table either, where everyone was drinking, as that would be inappropriate for Yan Moshan. In the end, Fan Baoshun simply seated Yan Moshan at the women's table.

Yan Moshan was not pleased inside. He had been looking forward to bonding with Fan Zaoni and Ding Sitian, and this outcome was not what he had expected.

But no matter what, he couldn't leave his stomach empty! And at least, the village's most virtuous and pretty woman, Second Fool's mother, Liu Shuying, was at the table, which was somewhat consoling. Just by looking at her, his mood would get a little better.

The women's table had beer, something Yan Moshan didn't think much of. After downing two bottles, he asked Fan Baoshun for a large cup of liquor.

In fact, if we're talking about eating, the women's table was even more impressive than the men's. The men were concerned with drinking, while the women were all about eating. Around the table full of women, only Liu Shuying had a decent way of eating; the rest chewed crookedly. Yan Moshan saw everything and thought even more highly of Liu Shuying, feeling genuinely sorry that she couldn't get enough food.

Just then, a plate of roast chicken was served, and Yan Moshan quickly tore off a piece with his chopsticks and tossed it into Liu Shuying's bowl, saying,

"Auntie, have the drumstick!"

Liu Shuying gave Yan Moshan a surprised glance and was about to say something when the woman next to her, Zhao Xifeng, started laughing, covering her mouth, and said,

"Look at that, look at that, this young lad already has a mind for romance!"

Upon hearing this remark, all the women seated around burst into laughter, making Liu Shuying's cheeks bloom with red as her eyes cast a reproachful look at Yan Moshan.

Yan Moshan also felt pretty awkward and, conveniently needing to pee after having drunk beer, stood up to go to the latrine.

As he walked, Yan Moshan thought about Liu Shuying and suddenly wanted to see what she looked like undressed, wondering if she'd be fair and white. Lost in thought, he felt something swelling up below; coupled with the urgency to pee, it swelled up quite a bit.

Not yet at the latrine, Yan Moshan had already pulled it out, holding it in his hand as he entered. He didn't expect that as soon as he stepped in, a girl's scream sounded from inside.

It turned out that Fan Zaoni was inside relieving herself, "Dammit, Yan Moshan, can't you say something before entering the latrine?" she exclaimed in alarm, half rising from her squat, her bottom as white as dough, and her face flushed with embarrassment.

Yan Moshan was startled and waved his hands frantically, "I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything." But still, he couldn't help but sneak a peek below at Zaoni; he saw a small tuft of black hair.